10 Incredible Stories About Fascinating Women
Women make up half of the world's population, but they are often under-represented in movies, tv shows, and books. Luckily, there are many talented writers out there telling amazing stories about the female perspective. The ten books we've gathered here run the gamut from fiction to nonfiction, but they all have one thing in common: putting fascinating women front and center. When you click links from this website, we may receive advertising revenue to support our research. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.
10 Incredible Stories About Fascinating Women
10 Women Who Changed History
- Claudette Colvin: Teenage civil rights activist
- Jane Addams: Nobel Peace Prize winner & suffragette
- Rosalind Franklin: Made ground-breaking discoveries about DNA
- Sojourner Truth: Abolitionist and women's rights activist
- Indira Gandhi: First female prime minister of India
- Margaret Sanger: Fought for women's right to birth control
- Marsha P. Johnson: Trans woman and LGBT rights activist
- Junko Tabei: First woman to reach the summit of Mt. Everest
- Susan Travers: WWII General who served in Italy, Germany, & France
- Betty Friedan: Social activist and author of The Feminine Mystique
Inspiring Quotes From Successful Women
| Quote | Source |
|---|---|
| "A woman with a voice is by definition a strong woman." | Melinda Gates |
| "I believe that it is as much a right and duty for women to do something with their lives as for men and we are not going to be satisfied with such frivolous parts as you give us." | Louisa May Alcott |
| "One's feelings waste themselves in words; they ought all to be distilled into actions which bring results." | Florence Nightingale |
| "If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again!" | Sojourner Truth |
| "It doesn't matter who you are, where you come from. The ability to triumph begins with you. Always." | Oprah Winfrey |
10 Badass Historical Women
In Depth
There are a lot of social expectations and experiences that define the meaning of womanhood, and there's no better way to delve into this complex topic than reading about women's diverse lives. Whether you're in the mood for inspiring stories, funny tales, or thought-provoking accounts, it's always a good time to read about fascinating women in both the real and imagined worlds. Note that our list of ten books consists of fiction and non-fiction and is presented in no particular order.
Starting off at #1 is "The Red Leather Diary." After finding a 75-year old diary in a dumpster in Manhattan, author Lily Koppel was compelled to track down its owner, who is depicted in the journal as a young, creative, and precocious dreamer. Reunited with her diary at the age of 90, Florence Wolfson Howitt revisited her youth as a teen living in New York City during the Great Depression. The book details her hopes, love affairs, heartaches, and college years, serving as a fascinating time capsule of an American lifestyle that no longer exists.
At #2 is "Goodbye, Vitamin." Rachel Khong gives us a heartfelt and hilarious novel about family, illness, and memories. After being dumped by her fiance, thirty-year-old Ruth returns to her parents' home to help take care of her father Howard, a former professor who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. Written as Ruth's diary, it chronicles how her father's condition worsens from manageable to erratic. The story also integrates Howard's journal, which records Ruth's milestones as she was growing up, and highlights their current role reversal.
The story also integrates Howard's journal, which records Ruth's milestones as she was growing up, and highlights their current role reversal.
At #3 is "Eighty Days," which details the accounts of two self-made women who traveled around the world in less than eighty days. In an attempt to beat the time set in Jules Verne's novel, investigative reporter Nellie Bly left New York City in November 1889 on a steamship. On the same day, literary writer Elizabeth Bisland departed from the city by train, going in the opposite direction. Matthew Goodman presents the women's contrasting backgrounds and biographies, and how both defied the gender stereotypes of the Victorian age.
What we have at #4 is Julia Fierro's debut novel entitled "Cutting Teeth." It follows the lives of four families from a preschool playground who all go to a beach house in Long Island for Labor Day weekend. It explores the needy, obsessive, and competitive nature of parents in their 30s, as it details their internal struggles and conflicts within their relationships. Fierro moves from one character's perspective to another, and presents relatable issues about familial and romantic love, friendship, and parenting.
Next, at #5 is "The Invaders." Set in the fictional beach town of Little Neck Cove, the story follows the viewpoints of 40-year-old Cheryl, a former retailer who marries a rich man, and her drug-addicted stepson named Teddy, as they form an unlikely friendship. Facing the harsh realities of her troubled marriage, Cheryl resents her neighbors, who fear and discriminate outsiders. Karolina Waclawiak sheds light on the seemingly perfect lives of the town's privileged people, while exploring the importance of belonging in this thought-provoking novel.
Karolina Waclawiak sheds light on the seemingly perfect lives of the town's privileged people, while exploring the importance of belonging in this thought-provoking novel.
At #6 is "The Spy Who Loved," a biography of Britain's first female agent during World War 2. Clare Mulley chronicles the life of Christine Granville, who has been called "Churchill's favorite spy." After Poland lost its freedom, the beauty queen runner-up dedicated herself to a life of danger as she took on numerous missions, saved her comrades from execution, and used her charm on men and dogs. It also details how she met the man who became captivated by her alluring beauty and personality, and eventually stabbed her to death after being rejected.
Coming in at #7 is "The Women in the Castle," a novel about the harsh reality of World War 2 by Jessica Shattuck. After her husband and his group of resisters are executed for attempting to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Marianne von Lingenfels fulfills her promise to take care of the men's widows and children, giving them refuge at an old family castle. As she becomes associated with Benita Fledermann and Ania Grabarek, who have both endured war pains of their own, the three women come to terms with their loss and suffering, all hoping to find peace and forgiveness in the wreckage of their lives.
At #8 is "Ashley's War." Gayle Tzemach Lemmon gives us an in-depth look at the courage and patriotism of women in the military. Formed in 2010, the Cultural Support Team works on missions in Afghanistan, tasked with searching and gathering crucial information from the local women. The narrative focuses on the life of Ashley White, who was killed in the line of duty at the age of 24. The book details the training, endurance, and friendships of her and her comrades, and how their decision to serve is accompanied by personal loss and social isolation.
Gayle Tzemach Lemmon gives us an in-depth look at the courage and patriotism of women in the military.
At #9 is "The Art of Undressing," a lighthearted and humorous novel by Stephanie Lehmann. It follows the life of Ginger Levine, a conservative girl in her 20s who attends a cooking school. Her mother, Coco, is a former exotic dancer who teaches the art of striptease, and sells sex toys for a living. As she rebels against her mother's sexual confidence by covering her body, she falls for her classmate who is smitten by some other pretty woman, leaving Ginger insecure of her own body and seeking out Coco's motherly advice.
Finally, at #10 is "Anywhere but Here." After breaking up with her second husband, Adele takes her 11-year-old daughter, Ann, to Beverly Hills in hopes of finding herself a wealthy husband and making her child a celebrity. Despite her low income and instability, Adele is chronically dissatisfied and spends above her means, leaving Ann torn between feelings of love and resentment for her mother. Mona Simpson gives us a tale that depicts the effects of narcissism in a relationship, and shows how familial love can endure in the face of flaws.
